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Zarathustra's Roundelay: Thomas Common
Zarathustra's Roundelay: Thomas Common
Zarathustra's roundelay
Zarathustra's Roundelay is a poem that figures as a central motif in the book Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Friedrich
Nietzsche. The roundelay first appears in "Chapter 59: The Second Dance-Song", as a psychological revelation that
precedes "Chapter 60: The Seven Seals", a conclusion and affirmation of Zarathustra's middle-aged philosophical
ventures. Then, in the second last chapter, "The Drunken Song", Zarathustra elaborates upon and explains his
roundelay, revealing its connection to the Eternal Recurrence.
Contents
The German original
English translations
Translations in other languages
Cultural impact
External links
References
English translations
There are a number of different English translations:
Thomas Common
Walter Kaufmann
R. J. Hollingdale
O man! Attend!
What does deep midnight's voice contend?
'I slept my sleep,
'And now awake at dreaming's end:
'The world is deep,
'And deeper than day can comprehend.
'Deep is its woe,
'Joy—deeper than heart's agony:
'Woe says: Fade! Go!
'But all joy wants eternity,
'Wants deep, deep, deep eternity!'
Oh mankind, pray!
What does deep midnight have to say?
"From sleep, from sleep—
From deepest dream I made my way:—
The world is deep,
And deeper than the grasp of day.
Deep is its pain—,
Joy—deeper still than misery:
Pain says: Refrain!
Yet all joy wants eternity—
—Wants deep, wants deep eternity."
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Atentu! Homo!
Kion diras la noktmeza fono?
„Dorm' min inundis –
Post sonĝprofundo per mi tagis: –
La mond' profundas
Pli ol la tag' imagis.
Profunda esata ĝia ve' –,
Ĝoj' – pli profunda ol tristeco:
Ve' diras: Al pere'!
Sed ĉiu ĝojo volas eternecon –
– profundan, fundan eternecon!“
Cultural impact
The roundelay was used as the text for the 4th movement (originally titled "What Man Tells Me") of Gustav Mahler's
1895 3rd Symphony. It was also used as the text of the fourth and final movement of Lukas Foss' 1960 Time Cycle.
External links
Thus Spake Zarathustra at Project Gutenberg—English
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References
1. https://es.wikisource.org/wiki/As%C3%AD_habl%C3%B3_Zaratustra – (prevalent elsewhere)
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